Prenatal exposure to AVP or caffeine but not oxytocin alters learning in female rats.
Rats whose mothers had been treated with 1 microgram of arginine vasopressin (AVP) or oxytocin (OXT), 15 mg of caffeine, or saline on days 13-19 of gestation were given training on a passive avoidance response as adults. Female rats whose mothers had been exposed to either AVP or caffeine demonstrated enhanced retention of the response. No effects were found for male rats or for exposure to oxytocin. These results suggest that prenatal exposure to AVP or caffeine produced sexually dimorphic effects on learning and that the effects are specific to the structure of AVP.
Swenson
R R
RR
Psychology Department, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks 58202.
Beckwith
B E
BE
Lamberty
K J
KJ
Krebs
S J
SJ
Tinius
T P
TP
D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D002110:Caffeine; D010121:Oxytocin